Cope in favour of reinstating Scorpions

The Congress of the People (Cope) is in favour of reinstating the Scorpions in line with the recommendations of the Khampepe commission, the party said on Thursday.

This was one of the resolutions of the newly formed Cope at its December 2008 conference, the party’s general secretary, Charlotte Lobe, said in Rosebank, Johannesburg.

“What we are saying is we cannot disregard the fact that a commission was established that made resolutions and recommendations that were not considered when the Scorpions were disbanded,” Lobe said.

The Khampepe commission was appointed by then-president Thabo Mbeki to investigate the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) crime-fighting unit, the Directorate of Special Operations—better known as the Scorpions.

It recommended that the Scorpions be retained within the NPA, but that political oversight and responsibility for its law-enforcement component be transferred to the minister of safety and security.

Cope also planned to overhaul the electoral system to ensure that the president, premiers and mayors were elected directly by the people and not by the party to which they are affiliated.

Cope also highlighted plans to respond to the global economic meltdown and curb job losses that resulted from the downturn.

Lobe would not provide further information on how Cope would accomplish this, saying the party’s plans would be announced when it launched its manifesto on January 24 in Port Elizabeth.

Cope introduced some of its new members to the media. They included Johan Killian, a former member of the National Party, Alex Raubenheimer, a former leader of the Freedom Front Plus and Craig Mol, a former councillor for the Independent Democrats.—Sapa